The former Lerner building (the most recent commercial tenant) was converted into 12 residential units and 3200 square feet of commercial space by the end of 2004, and was known once again by its original name, the Wilkinson building. The 1980s stone facing that the Lerner department store added was taken off and the original facade has been restored and improved.

This joined a host of other structures that underwent renovations into rental units in a three block radius. Historic Tax Credits dictate that units need to be rental for seven years, so after that, Cornish will let the units be sold as condo units if the market is right. Cornish Associates also worked on the Alice, Burgess O’Gormon, Harkness, and Peerless buildings.

Each of the 4 residential floors of the Wilkinson Building has the same layout housing 3 loft-style units of varying sizes. The 01 Unit is 1,065 square feet, the 02 Unit is 1,281 square feet and the 03 Unit is 1,369 square feet. Rents range in price from $1,200 to $1,800 per month, depending on the unit size and location within the building.

Prior to renovations, the Lerner was pretty much vacant for almost 20 years. While it was undergoing a complete gutting, there were one or two great art shows in the ground floor raw space in 2001-2002.

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